Masks
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: He was a man of many masks. And they were not the first to figure it out. Written for CafePoirot ALONE theme. - Shorter than I would have preferred, but hopefully, it still works.


Detective Conan

Masks

Angst

Tooru Amuro

He was a man of many masks. And they were not the first to figure it out. Written for CafePoirot ALONE theme.

(Yes. I own Detective Conan. Gosho Aoyama is just a face to protect my secret identity. I'm also the boss of the Black Organization and Kogoro knows it. I am also the Tooth Fairy.)

* * *

Masks

* * *

Back when he was just Rei, he was considered a boy of a single mask.

Anger.

It always showed on his face. He was a fighter. An angry fighter. The kids in his neighborhood knew it and they always tried to goad him.

Most times, it worked. Sometimes, it didn't.

"Do you always fight?"

It was the first time a grown-up didn't come up to him to scold him after a fight. She was staring down at him behind her wide-rimmed glasses. One hand was pressing against the creases of her skirt while the other was slowly reaching for his bruised cheek. He jerked his head back so she wouldn't touch him.

She paused, then slowly fingered his cheek. "Why is it you always fight?"

Rei didn't speak up.

"What's your name?"

The question prompted Rei to blink. Then he looked up to her, a stray tear appearing on his face. "Why do you want to know?" he asked.

She smiled. "Because I want to be your friend."

Rei swallowed. "Rei."

* * *

Elena Miyano had become something of a best friend, if not an auntly figure to young Rei. She was there for him whenever he needed someone to talk to. He was able to drop his mask altogether. To free himself from that which had been built during those constant squabbles with all the other kids.

Then she was gone.

Her death hit him as hard as it hit Akemi. He wanted to comfort her; she was the first friend he ever had that was actually around his age; but it always failed. In reality, it had always been her trying to cheer him up.

It usually failed, but he didn't let her know about it.

By that time, he found a new mask.

Smile.

It smothered his burning rage at himself and sadness like a blanket. It also helped Akemi feel better. She wanted him to smile, so he would. He didn't like it at first. It felt too foreign to him. But he still did it. And it wasn't long before it felt real enough to get around in.

* * *

"You know, Zero really suits ya."

Rei looked from the gun he was cleaning to his partner, Wataru Date. Days from graduating from the Police Academy and the man chosen now to mention his stupid nickname. "Why do you say that?" Rei asked, sliding on the Smile Mask.

Wataru pointed to his face. "That's why," he answered. "You have so many masks, it's ridiculous."

Rei paused, the Smile slipping away to be replaced with Innocent Confusion.

"That's what I'm talking about right there. You know, you'd make one heck of a detective. Get in there, slide one of your masks on, the perps will tell you anything."

Rei had to force himself to not look away.

Wataru wasn't the first to say something like that, but he was the first to say it so bluntly.

He willed the Smile to reappear on his face. "Don't be ridiculous," he said. "Not even my best friend falls for stuff like that."

"You mean that girl you grew up with? No wonder she doesn't fall for it. She knows it's fake."

Wataru might not have intended it, but he hit Rei right where it hurt.

She did know. Akemi most certainly knew that he was faking it. When she was around thirteen, she had caught him practicing in the mirror. He couldn't hide the truth from her after that.

* * *

"Liar."

Conan had him figured out.

His masks, however numerous, failed against the might of that child. Perhaps it was because he also wore masks. His specialty was Childish Innocence. It worked like a charm every time.

But not on Rei. Not anymore.

A smile tugged on Rei's lips. It wasn't one of his masks, but a very real smile. Up until that point, only Azusa had been successful in making him break away a mask. Not that she knew that.

"You're one to talk," he told little Conan, unaware that Azusa had seen the 'Tooru Amuro' mask slide away.

* * *

Rei listened as Conan explained the situation to him. He was on his break, so he didn't have to worry about the Master coming up to him and demanding he did some work. Not that he usually asked anyway. The Master was a nice enough man.

"RUM?" Rei asked. The mask of Tooru Amuro had slipped away. Likewise, Conan's 'Edogawa' mask had been abandoned somewhere in the cafe. It was just two secret agents talking and exchanging information.

Conan nodded. "Have you heard of him?" he asked.

"Once or twice." Rei looked to the side, his thumbnail in between his teeth. "He might have known, though."

"He?" Conan repeated. "Who's 'he?'"

"Hmm? Oh. Nobody. Don't worry about it, Conan-kun."

Conan tilted his head to the side.

"What are you two talking about?"

That was Azusa, who's sudden presence startled both Rei and Conan quite nicely. "Ah, Enomoto-san," Conan said, his high-pitched voice adding to his innocent routine.

"What was that about rum?" Azusa asked. "Sorry. I know it's rude to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help it."

Rei was about to give one of his simple explanations, but Conan beat him to the punch with, "Oh, we weren't talking about 'rum.' We were talking about Gamera."

Azusa stared. "Gamera?"

"Yeah." Conan pointed to Rei. "Amuro-niisan was talking about taking me and my friends to a movie and I was telling him about a new one that's coming out. Gomera vs. Gamera!"

Azusa's face brightened up. "Oh, I've heard of that one!" she exclaimed.

"Want to come with us?" Conan asked. "Amuro-niisan would love for you to come. Right, Amuro-niisan?"

Rei was slightly taken aback. "Uh, yeah," he said, the words rolling off his tongue before he had a chance to hear them.

Five minutes later, Azusa had accepted their invitation and left Rei and Conan to their own devices.

Then Conan looked up to Tooru. "Your face is red, Amuro-niichan," he joked.

Rei looked down at Conan. "Don't ever do that again," he said simply.

Conan just knew from the tone he took that Rei was not messing around with him. The Bourbon mask had covered his face. And Conan never did like the Bourbon mask.

* * *

**D.T.B: Okay, I took the Mask subtheme to a different level. Whatever. It's masks. XD So, hope you guys enjoyed this whatever-it-is. Please review if you did and wish me luck. :) (And YAY for me! I finally got that scene down on paper!)**


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